TENAFLY, NJ – A New Jersey man was confirmed dead after a terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
A 20-year-old New Jersey native, Itay Glisko, serving with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), was killed during an attack by Hamas. This has been confirmed by officials on Wednesday.
Glisko, who spent his early years in Paramus, is the first individual from the Garden State reported to have died in these recent attacks. Following this assault, Israel has declared war on Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.
Edan Alexander, another New Jerseyan, is currently missing in Israel. Alexander, a recent graduate from Tenafly High School in Bergen County, serves as an IDF soldier and is stationed near the Gaza Strip.
Another individual, Laor Abramov, originally from New Jersey, is also missing following the attacks. Abramov, a DJ, was in Israel attending a music festival when the attacks occurred.
Governor Murphy, expressing his grief over the situation, stated, “As a state with one of the largest Jewish and Israeli-American communities in the world, the brutality and carnage we have witnessed over the weekend is especially hard. It is personal.”
Murphy further added, “We pray for his swift, safe return, and we pray for every family in New Jersey and across the country with loved ones who are still unaccounted for.”
In response to the situation, President Joe Biden met with American Jewish leaders at the White House.
Addressing them, he remarked, “We’re working on every aspect of the hostage crisis in Israel, including deploying experts to advise and assist with recovery efforts.” The President remains hopeful, adding, “There’s a lot we’re doing, a lot we’re doing. I have not given up hope of bringing these folks home.”